Bobby Jones
Name:
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr.Country:
USALived:
[1902-1971]. Born on March 17, 1902 (St Patrick's Day) in Atlanta, Georgia. Died on Dec 18, 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia, aged 69.Original/Home Club:
East Lake CC, Atlanta, GA.Occupation:
Amateur golfer, lawyer, golf writer and instructor, course designer, founder of The Masters Tournament.Turned Pro:
n/aMajors (13), including a career slam of all four majors as they existed at the time (US Open and Amateur, British Open and Amateur Championships). Walker Cup player (1922, '24, '26, '28, '30). Walker Cup captain (1928, '30). World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 1974).
Augusta National (with Dr Alister MacKenzie); Peachtree GC, Atlanta (with Robert Trent Jones).
Bobby Jones, the only son of Colonel Robert P. Jones and his wife Clara, took up golf aged six. During his relatively short, competitive career he became the greatest amateur golfer in the game's history. In the space of eight years from 1923, he won 13 major championship titles, culminating in a same-year grand slam in 1930 (comprising at that time the British and US Opens and the British and US Amateur Championships). At the age of 28, he retired from competitive golf to practice law in Georgia. Jones memory lives on in the US Masters, which he founded, and the golf course it is played on, Augusta National, which he also founded. He is also known for his instructional books and films, which have provided invaluable guidance to golfers over the years. For the last 20 years of his life, Jones was afflicted by a crippling illness, which confined him to a wheelchair. Commenting on his condition he reminded a fellow writer that "we must all play the ball as it lies" - perhaps the greatest golfing metaphor for life itself.
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (65th) (June 18-20). Second-placed Macdonald Smith (Scot) and Leo Diegel (USA) finished 2 shots behind Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr (USA, amateur). [Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside].
Majors
USGA
The US Open (34th) (July 10-12). Second-placed Macdonald Smith (Scot) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Jones (USA, amateur). This was the last of Jones' four US Open wins. [Interlachen CC, Edina, nr Minneapolis, Minnesota].
Amateur
R&A
The Amateur Championship (41st). Jones (USA) beat Roger Wethered (Eng) 7 and 6 in the final. [The Old Course, St Andrews, Fife].
Amateur
USGA
The US Amateur Championship (34th) (Sept 22-27). Bobby Jones (USA) beat Eugene Homans (USA) 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final. This was the last of Jones' five US Amateur Championship titles, all won in the space of seven years. [East course, Merion GC, Ardmore, nr Philadelphia, PA. Run by Merion Cricket Club at the time].
Majors
USGA
The US Open (33rd) (June 27-30). Jones (USA, amateur) beat Al Espinosa (USA) in a 36-hole playoff: Jones 141 (-3), Espinosa 164 (+20). This was the third of Jones' four US Open wins. [West course, Winged Foot GC, Mamaroneck, NY].
Amateur
USGA
The US Amateur Championship (32nd) (Sept 10-15). Defending champion Bobby Jones (USA) beat T. Phillip "Phil" Perkins (Eng) 10 and 9 in the 36-hole final. This was the fourth of Jones' five US Amateur Championship wins. [Brae Burn CC, West Newton, Mass.].
Amateur
USGA
The US Amateur Championship (31st) (Aug 22-27). Bobby Jones (USA) beat Charles "Chick" Evans Jr (USA) 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final. This was the third of Jones' five US Amateur Championship wins. [Minikahda Club, Minneapolis, Minnesota].
America
Southern GA
Played as the Southern Open (March 24-26, 28; Southern Golf Assoc event). Second-placed John Golden (USA) and Johnny Farrell (USA) finished 8 shots behind Bobby Jones (USA, amateur). As an amateur, Jones was not entitled to any prize money. Golden and Farrell sought permission to playoff for the first and second-place prize money, rather than splitting it equally as the rules laid down. In their Monday playoff, Golden (70) took the $4,000 first-place prize money, and Farrell (71) the $1,750 for second place. [East Lake GC, Atlanta, Georgia].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (62nd) (July 13-15). Second-placed Aubrey Boomer (Eng) and Fred Robson (Eng) finished 6 shots behind defending champion Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr (USA, amateur). [The Old Course, St Andrews, Fife].
Majors
USGA
The US Open (30th) (July 8-10). Second-placed Joe Turnesa (USA) finished 1 shot behind Jones (USA, amateur). This was the second of Jones' four US Open wins. [Scioto CC, Columbus, Ohio].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (61st) (June 23-25). Second-placed Al Watrous (USA) finished 2 shots behind Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones, Jr (USA, amateur). In trouble in a fairway bunker at the long par-4 17th in the final round, Jones played an unbelievable shot from the bunker onto the green. A plaque beside the bunker now celebrates this extraordinary shot. [Royal Lytham & St Annes GC, nr Blackpool, Lancs].
Amateur
USGA
The US Amateur Championship (29th) (Aug 31-Sept 5). Defending champion Bobby Jones (USA) beat Watts Gunn (USA) 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final. This was the second of Jones' five US Amateur Championship wins. [Oakmont CC, nr Pittsburgh, PA].
Amateur
USGA
The US Amateur Championship (28th) (Sept 20-27). Bobby Jones (USA) beat George Von Elm (USA) 9 and 8 in the 36-hole final. This was the first of Jones' five US Amateur Championship wins. [East course, Merion GC, Ardmore, nr Philadelphia, PA. Run by Merion Cricket Club at the time].
Majors
USGA
The US Open (27th) (July 13-15). Bobby Jones (USA, amateur) beat Bobby Cruickshank (Scot) in an 18-hole playoff: Jones 76 (+4), Cruickshank 78 (+6). This was the first of Jones' four US Open wins. [Inwood CC, Inwood, Long Island, NY].
Tournaments:
Women’s major championships: the month of June sees two women’s majors: the US Women’s Open (June 3-6), with A Lim Kim defending, and the Women’s PGA Championship (June 24-27), with Sei Young Kim defending.
Senior PGA Championship: the revered Southern Hills in Oklahoma hosts the 81st staging of this event (May 27-30); Ken Tanigawa holds the title from its last playing in 2019.
Who's Who:
Phil Mickelson: in winning the 2021 PGA Championship, the world’s most famous “leftie” became the oldest winner of a golf major championship.
Hideki Matsuyama: became the first Japanese professional to win a men’s major championship, when he triumphed in this year’s Masters Tournament.
New 27-hole golf complex to be built in southern Belgium
A new golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the border with Luxembourg, will start construction in June 2021.
American Dunes opens for play following Nicklaus transformation
Nicklaus Design has transformed the former Grand Haven Golf Club in Michigan into the American Dunes Golf Club, a new public course that is now open for play
New course opens for play at Barnbougle
Bill Coore designs 14-hole layout with “sporty” holes on dune ridge above Lost Farm (golf carts allowed).
Gamble Sands opens short course:
David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
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